Initial findings from a TÜBITAK 1001 project aimed at revealing the pollution history of the Sea of Marmara show that microplastic pollution in the sea has increased significantly since the 2000s, in some areas rising up to three times.
The pollution history of the Sea of Marmara is being investigated through a TÜBITAK 1001 project carried out in partnership by the Middle East Technical University (METU) Institute of Marine Sciences, Akdeniz University, Ege University and Recep Tayyip Erdoğan University.
According to the interim report of the project, initial analyses of sediment cores taken from 14 critical points in the Sea of Marmara have yielded results. The examined samples include early findings on microplastic distribution, pollutant load and radiometric dating.
In the next phase of the study, polymer characterization and metal pollution analyses will continue.
Since its launch last year under the leadership of associate professor Olgaç Güven from the Faculty of Fisheries at Akdeniz University, the project has collected 40-50 cm-long (16-20 inches) sediment samples from the seabed using a core device called an “octopus” aboard the METU research vessel Bilim-2.
